Fiber distribution hub with swing frame and wrap-around doors

ABSTRACT

A fiber distribution hub (FDH) provides an interface between an incoming fiber and a plurality of outgoing fibers. The FDH includes a cabinet, at least one door pivotably mounted to the cabinet, and a frame pivotably mounted within the cabinet. The doors wrap around the sides and the front of the cabinet to provide access to both the front and sides of the frame when the doors are open. The frame can pivot out of the cabinet through the open doors to enable access to the rear of the cabinet and the rear side of the frame. The frame includes a termination region and a splitter region. The frame can include a storage region and/or a pass-through region.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a Continuation Application of Ser. No. 11/743,941,filed May 3, 2007, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,760,984 on Jul. 20, 2010,which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.60/797,890, filed May 4, 2006, which application is hereby incorporatedby reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Passive optical networks are becoming prevalent in part because serviceproviders want to deliver high bandwidth communication capabilities tocustomers. Passive optical networks are a desirable choice fordelivering high-speed communication data because they may not employactive electronic devices, such as amplifiers and repeaters, between acentral office and a subscriber termination. The absence of activeelectronic devices may decrease network complexity and/or cost and mayincrease network reliability.

FIG. 1 illustrates a network 100 deploying passive fiber optic lines. Asshown, the network 100 can include a central office 110 that connects anumber of end subscribers 115 (also called end users 115 herein) in anetwork. The central office 110 can additionally connect to a largernetwork such as the Internet (not shown) and a public switched telephonenetwork (PSTN). The network 100 can also include fiber distribution hubs(FDHs) 130 having one or more optical splitters (e.g., 1-to-8 splitters,1-to-16 splitters, or 1-to-32 splitters) that generate a number ofindividual fibers that may lead to the premises of an end user 115. Thevarious lines of the network can be aerial or housed within undergroundconduits.

The portion of network 100 that is closest to central office 110 isgenerally referred to as the F1 region, where F1 is the “feeder fiber”from the central office. The F1 portion of the network may include adistribution cable having on the order of 12 to 48 fibers; however,alternative implementations can include fewer or more fibers. Theportion of network 100 that includes an FDH 130 and a number of endusers 115 can be referred to as an F2 portion of network 100. Thenetwork 100 includes a plurality of break-out locations 125 at whichbranch cables are separated out from main cable lines. Branch cables areoften connected to drop terminals 104 that include connector interfacesfor facilitating coupling the fibers of the branch cables to a pluralityof different subscriber locations.

Splitters used in an FDH 130 can accept a feeder cable having a numberof fibers and may split those incoming fibers into, for example, 216 to432 individual distribution fibers that may be associated with a likenumber of end user locations. In typical applications, an opticalsplitter is provided prepackaged in an optical splitter module housingand provided with a splitter output in pigtails that extend from themodule. The splitter output pigtails are typically connectorized with,for example, SC, LC, or LX.5 connectors. The optical splitter moduleprovides protective packaging for the optical splitter components in thehousing and thus provides for easy handling for otherwise fragilesplitter components. This modular approach allows optical splittermodules to be added incrementally to FDHs 130 as required.

SUMMARY

Certain aspects of the disclosure relate to fiber distribution hubs(FDHs) that provide an interface between the F1 portion of the networkand an F2 portion of the network. Certain aspects relate to featuresadapted to enhance access to components within the FDHs. Other aspectsrelate to features that enhance cable management, ease of use, andscalability. Still other aspects relate to features that inhibit waterintrusion into the FDHs.

A variety of additional inventive aspects will be set forth in thedescription that follows. The inventive aspects can relate to individualfeatures and to combinations of features. It is to be understood thatboth the forgoing general description and the following detaileddescription are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictiveof the broad inventive concepts upon which the embodiments disclosedherein are based.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a prior art passive fiber optic network;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an example fiber distribution hubwith the doors in an open position and the swing frame detached;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example cable routing schemefor the fiber distribution hub of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the fiber distribution hub of FIG.2 with doors in the closed position;

FIG. 5 is a front view of the fiber distribution hub of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a left side view of the fiber distribution hub of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a right side view of the fiber distribution hub of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a top view of the fiber distribution hub of FIG. 4;

FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the fiber distribution hub of FIG. 4;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the fiber distribution hub of FIG.4 along lines C of FIG. 5;

FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of a the fiber distribution hub ofFIG. 2 with doors in the open position;

FIG. 12 is a front view of the fiber distribution hub of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a left side view of the fiber distribution hub of FIG. 11;

FIG. 14 is a right side view of the fiber distribution hub of FIG. 11;

FIG. 15 is a top view of the fiber distribution hub of FIG. 11;

FIG. 16 is a bottom view of the fiber distribution hub of FIG. 11;

FIG. 17 is a front perspective view of the fiber distribution hub ofFIG. 2 with the doors in the open position and the swing frame swungout.

FIG. 18 is a left side view of the fiber distribution hub of FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 shows the left side of FIG. 18, except that the left door of thecabinet has been removed in for ease in viewing;

FIG. 20 is a front view of an example swing frame;

FIG. 21 is a rear view of the swing frame of FIG. 20;

FIG. 22 is a left side view of the swing frame of FIG. 20;

FIG. 23 is a right side view of the swing frame of FIG. 20;

FIG. 24 is a top view of the swing frame of FIG. 20;

FIG. 25 is a bottom view of the swing frame of FIG. 20;

FIG. 26 is a front perspective, partially exploded view of the swingframe of FIG. 2;

FIG. 27 shows precabling of the splitter and termination modules of thefiber distribution hub of FIG. 17;

FIG. 28 shows front side view of the fiber distribution hub of FIG. 17;

FIG. 29 is a cabling diagram for routing a split fiber from the splittermodule to the storage module; and

FIG. 30 is a cabling diagram for routing a split fiber from the splittermodule to the termination module.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to FIGS. 2-3, an example fiber distribution hub (FDH) 200is shown. The FDH 200 includes a cabinet 201 that houses internalcomponents. The cabinet 201 includes a main body 260 having a back panel206 extending between a first end panel 202 and a second end panel 204.The main body 260 of the cabinet 201 defines a front opening 262 andside openings 264, 266 (best shown in FIG. 15). Right and left doors210, 220 wrap around the sides and front of the cabinet 201. The doors210, 220 are hingedly mounted to the rear of the main body 260 of thecabinet 201 and move between a closed position (see FIG. 4) and an openposition (see FIG. 11). A first gasket 255 (see FIG. 11) can be providedadjacent an edge of one of the doors 210, 220. Edges of the main body260 can also be lined with a second gasket 250 (see FIG. 11) adapted toseal the cabinet 201 from contaminants when the doors 210, 220 are inthe closed position. The cabinet 201 also includes an opening 240 (seeFIG. 10) through which a feeder cable (i.e., or F1 cable) 700 and asubscriber cable (i.e., or F2 cable) 708 enter and exit the cabinet 201(FIG. 3).

A swing frame 300 is pivotably mounted within the main body 260 of thecabinet 201. In general, the swing frame 300 includes at least onetermination region 340 and at least one splitter region 350. Thetermination region 340 is configured to retain adapters, such as theadapters of termination module 400 (see FIG. 19), and the splitterregion 350 is configured to retain at least one splitter, such assplitter module 500 (see FIG. 26). In some embodiments, the swing frame300 also includes a storage region 360 configured to retain at least onestorage module 600 (see FIG. 26). In other embodiments, the swing frame300 includes a pass-through region 370. Typically, the swing frame 300includes a cable management panel 310 and a trough 330 for routingfibers between regions 340, 350, 360, 370 (FIGS. 17 and 18).

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example cable routing schemefor the FDH 200. The FDH 200 generally administers connections at atermination panel between incoming fiber and outgoing fiber in anOutside Plant (OSP) environment. As the term is used herein, “aconnection” between fibers includes both direct and indirectconnections. Examples of incoming fibers include the feeder cable fibersthat enter the cabinet and intermediate fibers that connect the feedercable fibers to the termination region (e.g., connectorized pigtailsextending from splitters and patching fibers/jumpers). Examples ofoutgoing fibers include the subscriber cable fibers that exit thecabinet and any intermediate fibers that connect the subscriber cablefibers to the termination region. The termination region of the FDH 200provides an interconnect interface for optical transmission signals at alocation in the network where operational access and reconfiguration aredesired. For example, as noted above, the FDH 200 can be used to splitthe feeder cables and terminate the split feeder cables to distributioncables routed to subscriber locations 115. In addition, the FDH 200 isdesigned to accommodate a range of alternative sizes and fiber countsand support factory installation of pigtails, fanouts and splitters.

As shown at FIG. 3, a feeder cable 700 is initially routed into the FDH200 through the cabinet 201 (e.g., typically through the back or bottomof the main body 260 as shown in FIG. 17). In certain embodiments, thefibers of the feeder cable 700 can include ribbon fibers. An examplefeeder cable 700 may include twelve to forty-eight individual fibersconnected to a service provider central office 110. After entering thecabinet 201, the fibers of the feeder cable 700 are routed to a fanoutdevice 805. The fanout device 805 separates the fibers of the feedercable 700. The fanout device 805 can also upjacket the fibers of thefeeder cable 700. In some embodiments, the separated feeder cable fibers700 are routed from the fanout device 805 to the splitter region 350. Atthe splitter region 350, the feeder cable fibers 700 are connected toseparate splitter modules 500, in which the fibers 700 are each splitinto multiple pigtails 704, each having connectorized ends 706. In otherembodiments, however, the fibers of the feeder cable 700 can be routedto a feeder cable interface 905 (e.g., a fiber optic adapter module, asplice tray, etc.). At the feeder cable interface 905, one or more ofthe fibers of the feeder cable 700 are individually connected toseparate splitter input fibers 702 that are routed to the splitterregion 350.

When the splitter pigtails 704 are not in service, the connectorizedends 706 can be temporarily stored on a storage module 600 that ismounted at the storage region 360 of the swing frame 300. When thepigtails 704 are needed for service, the pigtails 704 are routed fromthe splitter modules 500 to a termination module 400 that is provided atthe termination region 340 of the swing frame 300. At the terminationmodule 400, the pigtails 704 are connected to the fibers of adistribution cable 708. The termination module 400, therefore, is thedividing line between the incoming fibers and the outgoing fibers. Atypical distribution cable 708 forms the F2 portion of a network (seeFIG. 1) and typically includes a plurality of fibers (e.g., 144, 216 or432 fibers) that are routed from the FDHs 130 to subscriber locations115.

In some embodiments, one or more of the fibers of the feeder cable 700are not connected to any of the splitter modules 500. Rather, thesefibers of the feeder cable 700 are connected through an interface device910 to pass-through fibers 712 having connectorized ends 714. Theconnectorized ends 714 of the pass-through fibers 712 are connected tothe subscriber cable fibers 708 at the termination region 340 of theswing frame 300 without first connecting to the splitter region 350. Byrefraining from splitting a fiber 700, a stronger signal can be sent toone of the subscribers 115. The connectorized ends 714 of thepass-through fibers 712 can be stored at the storage region 360 of theswing frame 300 when not in use. In other embodiments, however, a feedercable 700 having a connectorized end can be routed directly to thetermination region 340 of the swing frame 300.

Referring now to FIGS. 4-10, an example cabinet 201 of a FDH 200 isshown in a closed position. In general, the cabinet 201 is relativelylightweight for easy installation, and breathable to preventaccumulation of moisture in the unit. In some embodiments, an aluminumconstruction with a heavy powder coat finish also provides for corrosionresistance. In one example embodiment, the cabinet 201 is manufacturedfrom heavy gauge aluminum and is NEMA-4X rated. In other embodiments,however, other materials can also be used.

The cabinet 201 includes a main body 260, a right door 210, and a leftdoor 220. The doors 210, 220 are pivotally mounted to the main body 260of the cabinet 201 with hinge arrangements 203, 205 to facilitate accessto components mounted within the main body 260. In one exampleembodiment, the hinge arrangements 203, 205 each include two spacedhinges. In some embodiments, the doors 210, 220 are mounted at the rearof the main body 260 of the cabinet 201.

Each door 210, 220 includes a front portion 212, 222, respectively, aside portion 214, 224, respectively, and a connecting portion 216, 226,respectively, that enable the doors 210, 220 to wrap around the sideopenings 264, 266 and front opening 262 of the main body 260 of thecabinet 201. When closed, the side portions 214, 224 of the doors 210,220 extend between the rear of the main body 260 and the front of themain body 260. The front portions 212, 222 extend across the front ofthe main body 260. In one embodiment, the connecting portions 216, 226arc between the front portions 212, 222 and the side portions 214, 224.In other embodiments, however, the connecting portions 216, 226 extendlinearly between the front portions 212, 222 and the side portions 214,224. Typically, the doors 210, 220 also include a lock feature 218 (FIG.11) and a handle 228. Opening the doors 210, 220 facilitates access tothe internal components of the cabinet 201.

In some embodiments, one of the doors 210, 220 includes an angle feature230 (FIG. 11) enabling the doors 210, 220 to overlap along a centerlineof the front of the cabinet 201. The angle feature 230 includes a flange232 (FIG. 10) extending outwardly from the front portion 222 of the door220 to form a channel 238. As shown in FIG. 10, the flange 232 has agenerally L-shaped cross-section including a first portion 231 alignedat an obtuse angle relative to the front portion 222 of the door 220 anda second portion 233 that extends rearwardly from the first portion 231.End flanges 234, 236 (see FIG. 11), located on either end of flange 232,substantially close off the vertical channel 238.

In some embodiments, the angle feature 230 of the doors 210, 220includes a first gasket 255 for sealing the centerline of the doors 210,220 when the cabinet 201 is closed. A portion of the first gasket 255 isshown in FIG. 11 lining the angle feature 230. In such embodiments, thefirst and second portions 231, 233 of the angle feature 230 are sizedand angled to provide space for the first gasket 255. When the doors210, 220 are closed, the second portion 233 of the angle feature 230abuts against the front portion 212 of door 210 and the gasket/seal 255is compressed between the first portion 231 of the angle feature 230 andan edge of the door 220. The first gasket 255 preferably extendsvertically along the first portion 231 of the angle feature 230 from endflange 234 to end flange 236.

Referring back to FIG. 2, the main body 260 of the cabinet 201 includesa back panel 206 extending between a first end panel 202 and a secondend panel 204. The second end panel 204 includes an access opening 240(FIG. 10) through which the feeder cable 700 and the subscriber cable708 enter and exit the main body 260 of the cabinet 201. Both the firstand second end panels 202, 204 include mounting holes 244 (see FIGS. 9and 10) for deploying the cabinet 201. By providing the mounting holes244 in both end panels 202, 204, the main body 260 of the cabinet 201can be deployed in either a pedestal mount or an aerial mountorientation.

During assembly, in some embodiments, the cabinet 201 is adapted to besecured to a pedestal mount. In such cases, the main body 260 isoriented so that the first end panel 202 is at the top of the cabinet201 and the second end panel 204 is at the bottom of the cabinet 201.(FIG. 2). The access opening 240 of the second end panel 204 is coveredwith an access panel 242 defining an opening sized to fit the feedercable 700 and an opening sized to fit the subscriber cable 708 (FIG. 9).Internal components are loaded into the main body 260 of the cabinet201. The door 210 is mounted to hinge arrangement 203 and the door 220is mounted to hinge arrangement 205.

During field installation of such a cabinet 201, the second end panel204 (i.e., the bottom panel) of the cabinet 201 is fastened to a pad viamounting holes 244. A feeder cable 700 and a subscriber cable 708 can berouted upwardly through the access opening 240 and the access panel 242(FIG. 27). A cover 208 (FIG. 4-8) is configured to mount over the endpanel 202 (i.e., the top panel). In some embodiments, the cover 208improves the overall aesthetic appearance of the cabinet 201. In otherembodiments, the cover 208 shields the four mounting holes 244 of theend panel 202 to prevent water, dirt, and other contaminants fromaccessing the FDH 200. In one example embodiment, the cover 208 has apitched surface to enable water to run off of the cover 208 when the FDH200 is pedestal mounted.

In other embodiments, however, the cabinet 201 is intended to be securedto an aerial mount. During assembly in such cases, the main body 260 ofthe cabinet 201 is oriented so that the first end panel 202 is at thebottom of the cabinet 201 and the second end panel 204 is at the top ofthe cabinet 201. The access opening 240 of the second end panel 204 isstill covered with an access panel 242. However, the access panel 242 islocated on the top of the cabinet 201. In such an orientation, the door210 mounts to hinge arrangement 205 and the door 220 mounts to hingearrangement 203.

During field installation of an aerial mount FDH 200, the cabinet 201 ismounted on a pole by a pole mount configuration (not shown) having aplatform on which the first end panel 202 (i.e., the bottom panel) ofthe cabinet 201 rests. The mounting holes 244 of the first end panel 202enable the cabinet 201 to be fastened to the platform. At least oneaerial feeder cable 700 and subscriber cable 708 can be routeddownwardly into the cabinet 201 through the access opening 240. Theaccess panel 242 covers the access opening 240 while enabling the feedercable 700 and subscriber cable 708 to enter the cabinet 201.

In certain embodiments, the cabinet 201 can include one or more carryloops 207 for facilitating deployment of the cabinet 201 at a desiredlocation. For example, the loops 207 can be used to position the cabinetusing a crane. In particular, the crane can lower the cabinet 201 intoan underground region. The carry loops 207 are located adjacent to thecover 208. In some embodiments, the loops 207 are removable or can beadjusted to not protrude past the cover 208.

Referring now to FIGS. 11-16, the example FDH 200 is shown in an openposition. In the open position, the doors 210, 220 are oriented toenable access to the front opening 262 and side openings 264, 266 (FIG.15), defined by the main body 260 of the cabinet 201. In one embodiment,the doors are oriented so that the side portions 214, 224 aresubstantially parallel to the back panel 206 of the main body 260 andthe front portions 212, 222 are substantially perpendicular to andspaced from the back panel 206. Opening the cabinet 201 in this wayenables a user to access not only the front of the cabinet, but also thesides.

The cabinet 201 of the FDH 200 is configured to protect the internalcomponents against rain, wind, dust, rodents and other contaminants. Toaccomplish this goal, in some embodiments, the cabinet 201 includes asecond gasket 250 (best seen in FIG. 11) lining the edges 252, 254, 256of the first end panel 202, the back panel 206 and the second end panel204, respectively, where the panels 202, 204, 206 interface with thedoors 210, 220. For the sake of clarity, only portions of the secondgasket 250 are illustrated along the edges 252, 254, 256 in FIG. 11.However, it may be appreciated that the gasket 250 extends around theentire perimeter of the door interface.

Referring now to FIGS. 17-22, opening the doors 210, 220 enables a userto access the swing frame 300 pivotably mounted within the cabinet 201.Typically, the swing frame 300 is installed in the rear of the cabinet201 after an orientation of the cabinet 201 has been determined. FIGS.17-22 illustrate an example swing frame 300 separate from the cabinet201. The swing frame 300 has a front 302, a rear 304, a left side 303,and a right side 305 (FIGS. 21 and 22).

In some embodiments, the swing frame 300 has a pivot axis Z extendingthrough the swing frame 300 from the top of the swing frame 300 to thebottom. For example, as shown in FIG. 17, the pivot axis Z extendsthough the swing frame 300 on the right side 305. The swing frame 300can be pivoted on the axis Z through the opening defined by the mainbody of the cabinet 201 when the doors 210, 220 are open. In particular,the swing frame 300 pivots between a first “swung in” position (see FIG.11) in which the swing frame 300 fits within the footprint of thecabinet 201 and a second “swung out” position (best seen in FIG. 23) inwhich the swing frame 300 pivots out of the cabinet 201. As shown inFIG. 23, in one embodiment, the swing frame 300 can be swung out of thecabinet 201 at an angle of about 90 degrees.

The swing frame 300 includes at least one termination region 340, atleast one storage region 360, at least one splitter region 350, and atleast one pass-through region 370. Each termination region 340 isconfigured to hold at least one termination module 400 (FIG. 19) andeach splitter region 350 is configured to hold at least one splittermodule 500. Each storage region 360 is configured to hold at least onestorage module 600 (best seen in FIG. 26). The termination, splitter,and storage modules 400, 500, 600, respectively, will be described withmore detail with reference to FIG. 26. As shown in FIG. 3, thepass-through region 370 enables a feeder cable 700, or intermediatefiber 712, to interface with a subscriber distribution-cable 708 withoutfirst splitting the feeder cable 700.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 17, the left side 303 of the swing frame300 includes a storage region 360 located on the front 302 of the swingframe 300 between a first termination region 340 and a secondtermination region 340A. The opposite side 305 of the swing frame 300includes a first splitter region 350 located above a second splitterregion 350A. A pass-through region 370 is located adjacent the secondsplitter region 350A. In other embodiments, however, the swing frame 300can include any desired number of termination regions 340, storageregions 360, and splitter regions 350. The regions 340, 350, 360, and370 can be arranged in any desired configuration on the swing frame 300.

In some embodiments, the swing frame 300 also includes a cablemanagement panel 310 (see FIG. 17) for aid in routing fiber from onecomponent module to another. In the example shown, the cable managementpanel 310 includes a bend limiter 312 oriented to direct splitterpigtails 704 (see FIG. 3) from the splitter modules 500 to a firstchannel 320. The first channel 320 is defined by an array of flanges322. The flanges 322 protrude forwardly from the panel 310. The forwardends of the flanges 322 are bent towards the sides 303, 305 of the swingframe 300, thereby forming the channel 320. Flanges 328 similarly form asecond channel 326 adjacent channel 320. An array of radius bendlimiters 336 also protrudes from the cable management panel 310.

The channels 320, 326 lead from the splitter region 350 to a trough 330extending along the bottom of the swing frame 300 (FIG. 19). The trough330 includes a flange 331 protruding upwardly to retain fiber in thetrough 330. First and second slack storage spools 332, 334 arepositioned above the trough. The first spool 332 is positioned adjacentthe first and second channels 320, 326. The second spool 334 ispositioned intermediate the array of bend limiters 336 and thetermination regions 340, 340A. Additional bend limiters 335 can belocated in the remaining area between the trough 330 and the terminationregions 340, 340A.

FIG. 18 is a rear view of the swing frame 300 shown in FIG. 17. Thetermination region 340 is substantially hidden from view by a back panel316. The splitter regions 350 and 350A, however, are visible from therear side 304 of the swing frame 300. In particular, the splitterregions 350, 350A are configured to enable one or more splitter modules500 to be slid into guides 352 in the splitter regions 350, 350A.

Typically, the splitter modules 500 slide rearwardly into the guides 352from the front side 302 of the swing frame 300. In some embodiments,adapter modules 354 are mounted to the splitter regions 350, 350A. Theadapter modules 354 are adapted to receive an integral connector (notshown) projecting rearwardly from the splitter module 500. In certainembodiments, before a splitter module 500 is installed, dust caps 356(see FIG. 20) can be mounted to the adapter module 354 to prevent dustand/or other contaminants from polluting the adapter module 354 prior toconnection with the splitter module 500.

In the example shown, the pass-through region 370 is located adjacentthe second splitter region 350A. In some embodiments, the pass-throughregion 370 includes at least one adapter module 374. The adapter module374 is configured to accept a connectorized end of the feeder cable 700,or an intermediate cable (not shown), on one end and a connectorized endof a pass-through pigtail 712 on an opposite end. In other embodiments,however, the pass-through region 370 includes cable management devices(not shown) enabling the feeder cable 700 to be routed through thepass-through region 370 to the front side 302 of the swing frame 300.

One of the array of fanout devices 810 (see FIG. 18) is also visibleadjacent the back panel 316. Typically, multiple fanout devices 810 aremounted adjacent the termination modules 400. The fanout devices 810 areconfigured to receive fibers from the subscriber cable 708 extendingfrom the termination modules 400 and to combine the fibers 708 intoribbon cables.

FIG. 17 shows a storage region 360 positioned between a firsttermination region 340 and a second termination region 340A on the leftside 305 of the swing frame 300. The storage region 360 includes atleast one storage panel 362 that defines openings 364 in which thestorage modules 600 can be mounted. In some embodiments, the panel 362can be formed into angled shelves 366 (best seen in FIG. 26).

The first termination region 340 extends across the entire left side 305of the swing frame 300. A forward portion of the termination region 340defines a first channel 342 (best seen in FIGS. 21 and 27) and arearward portion of the termination region 340 defines a second channel344 (best seen in FIGS. 21 and 27). In particular, the first channel 342is formed from bent flanges 343 (FIGS. 19 and 27), extending sidewaysand rearwardly from the storage region 360. The second channel 344 isformed from one or more bent flanges 345 extending sideways andforwardly from the back panel 316. An array of radius bend limiters 346,348 is located within each channel 342, 344, respectively (FIGS. 17, 21,and 27). One or more termination modules 400 are located intermediatethe channels 342, 344. The second termination region 340A is similarlyformed (FIGS. 26 and 27).

Referring now to FIGS. 23-25, the pivot axis Z enables the opposite side303 of the swing frame 300 to pass through the front opening 262 andside opening 266 when pivoted into the second position. In the exampleshown in FIG. 11, the front 302 of the swing frame 300, as well assubstantial portions of side 303 and side 305 are accessible when thecabinet doors 210, 212 are in the open position and the swing frame 300is contained within the cabinet 201. In contrast, as shown in FIG. 23,all of side 305 as well as the rear 304 of the swing frame 300 areaccessible when the swing frame 300 is pivoted out of the cabinet 201.

Opening the doors 210, 220 and swinging out the frame 300 provides alarge amount of space S (see FIG. 28) for accessing the rear side of theswing frame 300 and maneuvering around the interior of the cabinet 201.In particular, the provided space S extends across most of the backpanel 206 and across the side portion 224 of the door 220. Providingsuch a space S facilitates access to the inside surface of the backpanel 206 through the front opening 262 and the side opening 264. Acable support panel 246 is mounted to the inside surface of the backpanel 206 above the access panel 242 in the second end panel 204 (FIG.23). The cable support panel 246 is adapted to retain a feeder cable 700and a subscriber cable 708 entering/exiting the cabinet 201 of the FDH200 (see FIG. 27). Above the cable support 246 is a fanout device 815adapted to combine support cable fibers 708 or ribbon cables formedtherefrom into a single cable. The large amount of maneuvering roomprovided by the doors 210, 220 facilitates routing the feeder cable 700to the splitter region 350 or the pass-through region 370 of the swingframe 300.

Referring now to FIGS. 26-28, the feeder cable 700 can be precabled toat least one splitter module 500 and the subscriber cable 708 can beprecabled to at least one termination module 400. FIG. 26 is a frontperspective, partially exploded view of the FDH 200. In particular, anexample of a splitter module 500 and an example of a storage module 600are shown detached from the splitter region 350A and the storage region360, respectively, of the swing frame 300.

Each splitter region 350, 350A is designed to house at least onesplitter module 500. In some embodiments, the splitter module 500includes a housing 505 from which at least one integral connector (notshown) protrudes rearwardly. The integral connector is configured toplug into one end of an adapter unit 354 mounted to the splitter region350 (see FIG. 25). Typically, the splitter module 500 includes fourintegral connectors adapted to fit into one end of an adapter unit 354.For example, such an adapter unit 354 is shown removed from the splitterregion 350 in FIG. 26. Dust caps 356 (best seen in FIG. 20) are alsovisible extending out from the adapter units 354.

In some embodiments, a connectorized end of a feeder cable fiber 700 isconnected to the splitter module 500 by plugging the connectorized endinto an opposite end of the adapter unit 354. For example, FIG. 27 showsa single fiber extending from the feeder cable 700 to the adapter unit354 of the splitter region 350. Only a single fiber of the feeder cable700 is shown for ease in viewing. In certain embodiments, the feedercable 700 can include a ribbon cable that is directed to a fanout device805 adjacent the splitter region 350. The fanout device 805 separatesthe ribbon cable into individual fibers that are routed to the adapterunits 354.

In other embodiments, a connectorized end of a splitter input fiber 702(see FIG. 3) is plugged into the opposite end of the adapter unit 354.The splitter input fiber 702 can have a connectorized or unconnectorizedend that interfaces with the feeder cable fibers 700 at a cableinterface device 905 (see FIG. 3). In still other embodiments, however,the splitter input fiber 702 connects to a splitter module 500 bypassing through the housing 505 and entering the splitter module 500. Insuch embodiments, the splitter region 350 does not include adapter units354.

Typically, the fibers of the feeder cable 700 or the input pigtails 702are routed to the splitter modules 500 when the feeder cable 700 isinitially installed in the cabinet or when each splitter module isincrementally installed. Precabling the splitter modules 500 facilitatesthe process of adding a subscriber to the network and reduces handlingof the fibers 700, 702.

Each splitter module 500 includes at least one protective boot 510protruding forwardly from the housing 505 (FIG. 26). Connectorizedsplitter pigtails 704 extend from the protective boot 510. Typically,each splitter module 500 receives between one and four input fibers(e.g., feeder cable fibers) and outputs between two and sixteen outputfibers (e.g., pigtail fibers) for every input fiber. In one exampleembodiment, four input fibers enter a splitter module 500 and thirty-twooutput fibers exit the splitter module 500. A tab 530 extends outwardlyfrom a front end of the splitter housing 505 for ease in mounting andremoving the splitter module 500 from the splitter regions 350, 350A.

Further information regarding the splitter module 500 can be found inthe U.S. application Ser. No. 11/384,297, entitled “Fiber Optic SplitterModule,” filed Feb. 13, 2006, and which is hereby incorporated byreference. Additional information on other types of splitter modules canbe found at U.S. application Ser. No. 10/980,978, filed Nov. 3, 2004,entitled “Fiber Optic Module And System Including Rear Connectors;” U.S.application Ser. No. 11/138,063, filed May 25, 2005, entitled “FiberOptic Splitter Module;” U.S. application Ser. No. 11/215,837, filed Aug.29, 2005, entitled “Fiber Optic Splitter Module With Connector Access;”and U.S. application Ser. No. 11/321,696, filed Dec. 28, 2005, entitled“Splitter Modules For Fiber Distribution Hubs,” the disclosures of whichare hereby incorporated by reference.

Generally, a splitter module 500 is incrementally added to the swingframe 300 precabled to a storage module 600 as shown in FIG. 26. Theconnectorized ends 706 of the pigtails 704 exiting the protective boot510 are stored in one or more storage modules 600 prior to installationof the splitter 500 on the swing frame 300. In some embodiments, theconnector 706 of each pigtail 704 is secured in a storage module 600before the splitter module 500 leaves the factory. The storage module600 protects the connectors 706 on the ends of the pigtails 704 untilthe pigtails 704 are needed to connect a subscriber 115 to the network100 (see FIG. 1). Typically, the connectorized pigtails 704 of eachsplitter module 500 are routed to four storage modules 600 each holdingeight connectors 706.

The storage module 600 includes a body 605 defining at least one cavitysized to hold at least one fiber optic connector, such as connectors706. Typically, the body 605 is configured to retain about eightconnectors. In some embodiments, the body 605 is arranged to retain thefiber connectors in a single row configuration. In other embodiments,the body 605 can be arranged to retain the connectors in a squarepattern or in any other desired configuration. More informationregarding the storage modules 600 can be found in U.S. application Ser.No. 10/610,325, filed on Jun. 30, 2003, entitled “Fiber Optic ConnectorHolder and Method;” U.S. application Ser. No. 10/613,764, filed on Jul.2, 2003, entitled “Telecommunications Connection Cabinet;” and U.S.application Ser. No. 10/871,555, filed on Jun. 18, 2004, entitled“Multi-position Fiber Optic Connector Holder and Method,” thedisclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

In some embodiments, the body 605 of the storage module 600 is designedto snap into one of the openings 364 defined in the storage region 360of the swing frame 300. The openings 364 can be arranged in any desiredconfiguration within the storage region 360. In the example shown inFIG. 26, the storage region 360 defines two columns of six openings 364.In one embodiment, the openings 364 are defined by angled shelves 366 sothat the attached connectors 706 are aimed downwardly to preventexcessive fiber bending.

At least one termination module 400 (FIG. 19) can be mounted to eachtermination region 340 of the swing frame 300. As best seen in FIGS. 27and 28, each termination module 400 includes a body 402 having multipleslots 404 in which adapter modules 410 can be slidably mounted. Eachadapter module 410 defines at least one open cavity 415 one side of eachof the open cavities is adapted to receive the fiber optic connector706, 714 of a splitter pigtail 704 or pass-through pigtail 712,respectively. The opposite side of each open cavity 415 is adapted toreceive a fiber optic connector 710 of a subscriber cable fiber 708.Typically, an adapter module 410 includes at least twelve open cavities415.

As shown in FIG. 27, the subscriber cable 708 can be precabled to thetermination modules 400. In some embodiments, the subscriber cable 708enters the cabinet 201 and is directed to a fanout device 815 thatseparates and upjackets the subscriber cable 708 into multiple ribboncables 718. The ribbon cables 718 are directed to an array of fanoutdevices 810. In certain embodiments, bend tubes 720 further protect theribbon cables 718 between the fanout 815 and the fanout 810. Each fanoutdevice 810 separates one of the ribbon cables 718 into individualfibers. Each of the fibers of the ribbon cable 718 are next routed fromthe fanout device 810, up the second channel 344 (FIG. 28) of thetermination region 340, over an appropriate bend limiter 348, to an opencavity 415 of an adapter module 410. The connector 710 on the end of thefiber is plugged into the open cavity 415 of the adapter module 410, asshown in FIG. 28.

To enable easier access to an individual fiber 700, 708, each adaptermodule 410 is configured to slide is a lateral direction from a firstposition within the termination region 340 to an extended positionjutting outwardly from the termination region 340. For example, thefirst adapter module 410 in each termination module 400 shown in FIGS.26 and 27 is slid out in the second position. The sliding featureenables a user to access a particular set of fibers 700, 708 withoutinterfering with the remaining fibers in the termination region 340. Inaddition, the sliding feature combined with the wrap-around doors 210,212 of the cabinet 201 facilitate manipulation of the adapter modules410, even when the swing frame 300 is wholly contained within thecabinet 201.

In some embodiments, each adapter module 410 also includes a locking tab418 that enables and prevents the adapter module 410 from slidingoutwardly and inwardly within the termination module 400. The lockingtab 418 is configured to lock the adapter module 410 into a fixedposition. To slide the adapter module 410 into a different position, thetab 418 is flipped, rotated, or otherwise adjusted to release theadapter module 410. Additional information regarding the terminationmodules 400 can be found in U.S. application Ser. No. 11/095,033, filedMar. 31, 2005, and entitled “Adapter Block Including Connector Storage;”and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,497,444; 5,717,810; 5,758,003; and 6,591,051, thedisclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

Referring now to FIGS. 29-30, routing schemes for connecting thesplitter modules 500 in the splitter region 350 to the terminationmodules 400 in the termination region 340 or to the storage modules 600in the storage region 360 are shown. FIGS. 29 and 30 show the front 302of a swing frame 300 detached from the cabinet 201 of the FDH 200. Forease in viewing, a single splitter 500 is shown in the second splitterregion 350A of the swing frame 300 outputting a single pigtail 704.Typically, the splitter pigtails 704 are upjacketed and include strengthmembers (e.g., Kevlar) to provide increased protection from handlingwhen the pigtails 704 are added and removed from service.

In general, the pigtails 704 are routed over the bend limiter 312 to thefirst channel 320 of the cable management panel 310. In someembodiments, additional pigtails 704 can be routed down the secondchannel 326 to avoid entangling the pigtails 704. At the bottom of thefirst channel 320 adjacent the trough 330, the pigtail 704 is partiallywrapped around the first storage spool 332 and routed upwardly along thearray of radius bend limiters 336. The pigtail is next draped over anappropriate bend limiter in the array 336 to store any excess fiberlength and routed back down towards the trough 330. The pigtail isrouted across the trough 330, wound over a bend limiter 335, and up tothe storage region 360. The connector 706 on the end of the pigtail 704is plugged into a storage module 600 in the storage region 360.

When the pigtail 704 is needed to connect a subscriber 115 to thenetwork 100 (see FIG. 1), the connector 706 is removed from the storagemodule 600. The appropriate adapter module 410 of one of the terminationmodules 400 is slid outward. Typically, the subscriber cable fibers 708have been precabled to the termination module 400 so that the connector710 of the appropriate subscribe cable 708 is already plugged into thecavity 415 on the adapter module 410. The connector 706 of the splitterpigtail 704 is plugged into the opposite side of the same cavity 415 onthe adapter module 410. The adapter module 410 is then slid back intothe termination region 340.

In some embodiments, the pigtail 704 will need to be rerouted across thefront of the swing frame 300 during the connection process. For example,as shown in FIG. 30, the pigtail 704 may need to be wound around adifferent bend limiter 337 adjacent the trough 330. In other embodiments(not shown), the pigtail 704 may need to be wound around a differentbend limiter in the array of bend limiters 336 to gain or take upadditional fiber length.

As discussed herein, in other embodiments, the feeder cable 700 is notsplit. Rather, the feeder cable 700 is connected to a pass-through fiber712 at a cable interface device 910 (FIG. 3), such as the adapter module374 shown in FIG. 18. The pass-through fiber 712 can be routed aroundthe front side of the swing frame 300 to the termination region 340 orto the storage region 360 similar to the splitter pigtail 704.Typically, the pass-through fiber 712 is upjacketed similar to thesplitter pigtails 704.

The above specification, examples and data provide a completedescription of the manufacture and use of the composition of theinvention. Since many embodiments of the invention can be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention, the inventionresides in the claims hereinafter appended.

We claim:
 1. A fiber distribution hub adapted to provide an interfacebetween an incoming fiber and a plurality of outgoing fibers, the fiberdistribution hub comprising: an enclosure including a cabinet main bodyhaving a back wall, a cantilevered top wall and a bottom wall, the backwall defining a back of the cabinet main body, the top and bottom wallsextending forwardly from the back wall of the cabinet main body, thecantilevered top wall being unsupported other than the cantilever andincluding a forward edge, the cabinet main body defining an accessopening having a front portion defined at a front the cabinet main bodyand a side portion defined at a side of the cabinet main body, the sideof the cabinet main body extending between the front and back of thecabinet main body, the side portion of the access opening and the frontportion of the access opening being defined between the top and bottomwalls; the enclosure also including a door pivotally movable relative tothe cabinet main body between an open position and a closed position,the door including a first portion and a second portion that is angledrelative to the first portion, the door being configured to wrap aroundthe cabinet main body when in the closed position such that the firstportion of the door extends between the top and bottom walls of thecabinet main body and covers the side portion of the access opening andthe second portion of the door extends between the top and bottom wallsof the cabinet main body and covers at least a part of the front portionof the access opening, the door being pivotally movable relative to thecabinet main body about a vertical pivot axis that is set back from theforward edge of the top wall such that the pivot axis is closer to therear of the cabinet main body than the forward edge of the cantileveredtop wall; an optical splitter module positioned within the enclosure,the optical splitter module being configured to split optical signalsinput to the fiber distribution hub by the incoming fiber; a pluralityof splitter pigtails extending from the optical splitter module, each ofthe splitter pigtails being configured to carry one of the splitsignals, and each of the splitter pigtails having a connectorized end;and a termination field located within the enclosure, the terminationfield including a plurality of fiber optic adapters, each fiber opticadapter being configured to receive one of the connectorized ends of thesplitter pigtails.
 2. The fiber distribution hub of claim 1, wherein thecantilevered top wall includes an overhang portion that overhangs thefirst and second portions of the door when the door is in the closedposition.
 3. The fiber distribution hub of claim 1, wherein the forwardedge of the cantilevered top wall defines a forward-most portion of thecabinet main body.
 4. The fiber distribution hub as claimed in claim 1,further comprising a column of bend radius limiters defining a verticalrouting channel located within the enclosure, wherein slack length ofeach splitter pigtail is wrapped around at least one of the bend radiuslimiters when the splitter pigtail is plugged into the terminationfield, wherein the splitter pigtails are routed downwardly from thesplitter region through the vertical routing channel and then upwardlyto the termination field.
 5. A fiber distribution hub adapted to providean interface between an incoming fiber and a plurality of outgoingfibers, the fiber distribution hub comprising: an enclosure including aback panel extending between a cantilevered first end and a second endof the enclosure and between a first side strip and a second side strip,the back panel being fixedly connected to the first and second sidestrips, the cantilevered first end being unsupported past the first andsecond side strips, the enclosure defining an interior and an accessopening leading to the interior; a first door mounted to the enclosure,the first door including a front portion and a side portion that wrap atleast partially around the access opening to selectively cover at leastpart of the access opening; a splitter region located within theinterior of the enclosure, the splitter region being configured toreceive at least one splitter module, each splitter module beingconfigured to receive optical signals carried by the incoming fiber andto split the optical signals; a plurality of splitter pigtails extendingfrom the first splitter module, each of the splitter pigtails carryingone of the split optical signals, and each of the splitter pigtailshaving a connectorized end; and a termination field located within theinterior of the enclosure, the termination field including a pluralityof adapters, each adapter being configured to receive one of theconnectorized ends of the splitter pigtails.
 6. The fiber distributionhub as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first door is configured to pivotrelative to the enclosure between an open position and a closedposition.
 7. The fiber distribution hub as claimed in claim 6, whereinthe first door defines at least part of the front of the enclosure andat least part of one side of the enclosure when the first door is in theclosed position.
 8. The fiber distribution hub as claimed in claim 6,wherein the first door inhibits access to the termination field when thefirst door is in the closed position.
 9. The fiber distribution hub asclaimed in claim 5, wherein the access opening is defined at leastpartially at a front of the enclosure and wraps around sides of theenclosure.
 10. The fiber distribution hub as claimed in claim 5, whereinthe enclosure includes a second door that cooperates with the first doorto selectively close the access opening.
 11. The fiber distribution hubas claimed in claim 5, wherein the termination region includes aplurality of rows of adapters that extend at an angle to the back panel.12. The distribution hub as claimed in claim 5, further comprising acolumn of bend radius limiters defining a vertical routing channellocated within the enclosure, wherein slack length of each splitterpigtail is wrapped around at least one of the bend radius limiters whenthe splitter pigtail is plugged into the termination field.
 13. Thefiber distribution hub as claimed in claim 12, wherein the splitterpigtails are routed downwardly from the splitter region through thevertical routing channel and then upwardly to the termination field. 14.A fiber distribution hub adapted to provide an interface between anincoming fiber and a plurality of outgoing fibers, the fiberdistribution hub comprising: an enclosure including a back panelextending between a cantilevered first end panel and a second end panelto define an interior, the cantilevered first end panel extending fromthe back panel to a forward portion, the cantilevered first end panelbeing unsupported other than the cantilever, the first and second endpanels being generally the same size and shape; a first door pivotallycoupled to the enclosure, the first door being configured to pivotrelative to the enclosure between an open position and a closedposition, the first door closing a first side of the enclosure and atleast partially closing a front of the enclosure when the first door isin the closed position; a second door pivotally coupled to theenclosure, the second door being configured to pivot relative to theenclosure between an open position and a closed position, the seconddoor closing a second side of the enclosure and at least partiallyclosing the front of the enclosure when the second door is in the closedposition; a splitter region located within the interior of theenclosure, the splitter region being configured to receive at least onesplitter module; and a termination field located within the interior ofthe enclosure, the termination field being configured to receive aplurality of adapters.
 15. The fiber distribution hub as claimed inclaim 14, wherein each door includes a first portion and a secondportion that is angled relative to the first portion.
 16. The fiberdistribution hub as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first portion ofeach door closes the respective side of the enclosure and wherein thesecond portions of the doors close the front of the enclosure.
 17. Thefiber distribution hub as claimed in claim 15, wherein the secondportion is unitary with the first portion.
 18. The fiber distributionhub as claimed in claim 14, wherein the enclosure includes side stripsthat extend between the first and second end panels and that extendforwardly from the back panel, the first door being mounted to a firstof the side strips and the second door being mounted to a second of theside strips.
 19. The fiber distribution hub as claimed in claim 14,wherein the adapters of the termination field are positioned in rowsthat extend at an angle to the back panel of the enclosure at least whenthe first and second doors are each in the closed position.
 20. Thefiber distribution hub as claimed in claim 14, further comprising acolumn of bend radius limiters defining a vertical routing channellocated within the enclosure, wherein slack length of each splitterpigtail is wrapped around at least one of the bend radius limiters whenthe splitter pigtail is plugged into the termination field.